


Bittersweet

by shopgirl152



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Anger, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Drama, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Family Loss, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Heartbreak, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Loss, Loss of Parent(s), Loss of Trust, Mixed Emotions, One Shot, Parenthood, Sadness, Single Parenting, Single Parents, Spear of Selene aftermath, The Last Crash of the Sunchaser, Unexpectant parent, What Came Before
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 15:29:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15821739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shopgirl152/pseuds/shopgirl152
Summary: The night his nephews hatched was the happiest and saddest nght of Donald's life.





	Bittersweet

He was exhausted. He had been up all night sitting on the eggs, trying to keep them warm. His back ached and his butt was sore.

Eggs were not a comfortable thing to sit on.

To make matters worse, he couldn't stop crying. The tears and sobs came in waves, first a trickle, then a downpour, then nothing. Just when he thought he had his emotions under control, another memory would surface:

Della hiding his hat deep inside McDuck Manor.

The visit to Monte Plumage Temple to get that stupid golden chicken...

He found himself laughing through the tears. "A giant golden chicken that shrunk when you fed it cacao beans. Who'd have thought?"

Della had saved him that day. Well, sort of. Being shrunk to the size of a cacao bean and stuffed in an earthenware pot for safe keeping was no picnic. In fact, it was because of his stubborn, bull headed, strong willed, foolhardy sister that he often found himself tagging along on unwanted adventures in order to protect her.

God knows Uncle Scrooge couldn't do it. In fact, he was the one who encouraged her! He was the one that said "Go ahead Lassie, reach for the stars. I'll help ye in anyway I can."

Donald balled his hands into fists, trying to tamp down the sudden boiling anger. Uncle Scrooge was the reason Della was lost in space! Presumed dead!

The week her children were due to hatch and they were already orphans.

The anger gave way to a fresh onslaught of tears.

_"Della, I forbid you to make plans for a stupid rocket ship! You're going to be a Mother! You need to put them first!" He pointed to the stroller. "You have three litte ones on the way! They need you!"_

_"And I need one more adventure before I become a Mother! Don't you get it Donald? Once they hatch, my adventuring days are over!"_

_"They should have been over the day you laid the eggs! It's to risky! What if something goes wrong?!"_

_"Nothing will go wrong! Not with Uncle Scrooge's help! He knows how to handle these things!"_

_"But do you?"_

Della had stomped off after that, hell bent on reaching the stars and stubborn enough to do it.

Then the note. And the ship. The cosmic storm...

The transmission lost signal and she was gone.

He sniffed, reaching down and patting one of the eggs, voice cracking. "I'm so sorry. You don't even have a Mother now and I--" he felt movement under his rump and hopped off the nest, eyes widening as a tiny crack appeared in one of the eggs. "Oh boy oh boy oh boy!" He reached a hand out, gently pulling pieces of shell away as a tiny head emerged, peeping loudly.

"Aww..." Donald scooped the duckling into his arms, marveling at the tiny fingers and webbed feet. "How about tha--wak!" He started as the other eggs hatched, seemingly at the same time. He readjusted the duckling, glancing at his watch. "Three seconds apart. Well I'll be doggone."

The ducklings peeped loudly, tiny hands and webbed feet reaching for him. He readjusted the one in his arms, gently scooping up the other two. He held them close, tears in his eyes. "I'm an Uncle! I'm an Uncle! Uncle Scrooge! Della! ...oh." He sniffed, trying to ignore the ache in his chest as the full weight of the situation hit him. He leaned against the bookcase, suddenly feeling exhausted. "What am I gonna do?"

The first hatchling he had grabbed scrambled up his face, reaching for one of the books.

Donald grabbed him. "Oh no you don't. It's to dangerous...for...you..." he stared at the book as he pulled the duckling away. A leather bound journal stared at him from the shelf, a Property of Della Duck sticker on the worn binding.

He readjusted the squirming ducklings in his arms, plopping them unceremoniously into the nest before grabbing the book, paging through it:

_The Monteplumage Civilization is known for their wonderful temples, as well as their chocolate and rubber..._

_We discovered the Desert Vikings today, ancestors of Hilarius Goosesson. Can you believe it?! Desert Vikings! They use magical sheep to keep them cool!_

_We had to escape Nostradogmus today! It took me eating five jellybeans and baking a giant cookie for us to escape!_

_Today we found the most incredible pumpkins..._

Donald chuckled, pausing as he turned another page, discovering a piece of paper with Della's handwriting nestled between the pages. "Possible names...Hubert...Dewford...Lou--" he cringed. "Maybe just Louie..." he mused aloud. He looked over at the nest, his heart filled with so much love it was almost unbearable.

The ducklings were piled on top of each other, sound asleep.

He slid the paper back inside the book and closed it, placing it back on the shelf. He got up, walking over to the nest and kissing the top of each duckling's head. "Huey." He planted a kiss to the crown of the duckling's head. "Dewey." A kiss on the cheek. "And Louie." A peck on the forehead. He reached down, ruffling their feathers. "Don't worry boys; I'll keep you safe. I won't let anything or anyone hurt you."

He clenched his fists at his sides in determination, watching the moon crested the horizon. He didn't know how to be a parent. But in that moment, he only knew one thing: He would die for these babies. It was his sole duty to keep them safe and keep them out of harm's way. And on that night, as his eyes grew bleary and he slipped into a dreamless sleep, he made one final vow:

He would never tell them what happened to their Mother.

**Author's Note:**

> Della's journal entries taken from DuckTales comics issues 2 and 3, The Amazing Adventures of Scrooge, Donald and Della Duck!


End file.
